FCC unit asks mHealth Task Force to assist underserved peopleThe Consumer Advisory Committee of the Federal Communications Commission has issued recommendations to the FCC and its mHealth Task Force to attend to the needs of people with disabilities and underserved individuals. The committee calls on the members of the Task Force to ensure the health-related staff of the FCC, as well as its health care director, are "aware of the specific needs of underserved populations, including the access needs of individuals with disabilities." Healthcare Informatics online
(11/12)

Are Your Clinicians Texting PHI Securely? They Could Be.Imprivata Cortext™ is the healthcare industry's first HIPAA compliant text messaging solution. Designed with physicians and nurses, Cortext protects PHI and streamlines communications, securely.

EHR adoption challenges remain, despite Obama's re-electionPresident Barack Obama's re-election means the Affordable Care Act will proceed, but the complexity of EHR adoption remains. Some experts say the evolving health IT landscape will continue to put a strain on providers as they comply with meaningful use requirements, privacy and security regulations, new reimbursement schemes and other federal mandates. Government Health IT online
(11/8)

CMS posts specification sheets for stage 2 MUThe specification sheets for the second stage of EHR meaningful use have been posted by CMS for eligible hospitals and professionals. The sheets are created to help them calculate the numerator and denominator for every MU objective and judge whether they qualify to be excluded from an objective. Health Data Management
(11/12)

Physicians face penalties for avoiding quality initiativesPhysicians who do not report Medicare quality measures or use e-prescribing and EHRs next year will take a financial hit, experts said. The American Academy of Family Physicians estimated participating in the programs could help a doctor avoid $19,000 in penalties. AAFP Medical Director for Quality Improvement Dr. Bruce Bagley said it is wise for physicians to participate in these initiatives because penalties could go up and commercial payers could decide to enact similar programs. American Medical News (free content)
(11/12)

Online hysterectomy patients' community releases mobile appHysterSisters, an online community of hysterectomy patients, recently released a mobile application that encourages women to monitor their symptoms in a log, which they can print out and give to their doctors. The app prompts users for their surgery date and provides a personalized timeline of videos, articles, suggested physician consultations and questions, as well as resources customized according to their hysterectomy schedule. MobiHealthNews.com
(11/12)

Over 18,700 industry leaders read SmartBriefConnect with your customers at all stages of the buying cycle! Health IT SmartBrief reaches over 18,760 health care IT & hospital leaders. Whether you need to showcase your brand, position your thought leadership, or drive demand, SmartBrief has an advertising solution to meet the need. Download your Media Kit.

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Technology Trends

5 reasons why health groups should put off cloud adoptionMoving to a cloud IT environment offers some business advantages such as better flexibility and lower costs, but also presents risks, Velocity Data Centers President Steve Jacobs says. Jacobs offers five reasons health groups should defer migrating to the cloud, including data security threats and the fragile nature of the technology during emergencies. Healthcare IT News
(11/9)

2 Atlanta care delivery systems collaborate to boost clinical outcomesWellStar Health System is partnering with Piedmont Healthcare to create the Georgia Health Collaborative that will boost clinical outcomes while lessening costs by expanding the groups' population and geographic base in the greater Atlanta region. "A collaborative allows us to create both scale and efficiency without the same debt and integration challenges that come with expansion or acquisition," says Gregory Hurst, president and interim COO at Piedmont. Health Data Management
(11/12)

EarlySense gets $15M for blood oxygen tracking systemEarlySense will use $15 million from a funding round to bring to the market an FDA-cleared oxygen saturation component for its patient-monitoring system. The device allows the continuous, automatic tracking of oxygen levels in the blood and monitors movement to help prevent bedsores, which can increase the risk of hospital-acquired infections. MedCityNews.com
(11/12)

HIE

23andMe looks to cross-breed genetics and social mediaGenomics company 23andMe has opened its application programming interface to let consumers share their genetic information as easily as they'd share other social information. The idea could facilitate research into some health issues, find traction in niche social networks or become part of what some academics call "informational exhibitionism," with users posting quirky genomics-based data such as the percentage of Neanderthal DNA they carry. Wired.com/Wired Science blog
(11/9)

WEDI National Conference in Las Vegas -- call for proposalsWEDI is inviting individuals and companies to submit presentation proposals to be considered for the WEDI 22nd Annual National Conference to be held May 13-16, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nev. The conference is expected to attract more than 500 health information management professionals to learn the latest in the management of health information and technologies. We need you to share your expertise, successes and ideas with your peers! Learn more and submit a proposal.

WEDI webinars now available onlineDid you miss a WEDI webinar due to a scheduling conflict? Several key webinars from 2012, 2011 and 2010 are now available for purchase on the WEDI website. Visit the WEDI website to view the various resources available to you. Purchase the webinar now and have access to it within minutes. All future WEDI webinars will be made available online for those who cannot attend the live events.